Building and Sustaining a Family Peer Support Workforce:

A Lever for Change

Susan Burger, FPA

A statewide, family-run, not for profit agency providing a strong voice for families raising children

who are navigating the many child serving systems.

Families Together in New York State

What is Family Peer Support?

Family Peer Support Services (FPSS) are an array of formal and informal services and supports provided to families raising a child who is experiencing challenges

FPSS are provided by a trained and credentialed Family Peer Advocate (FPA) who is uniquely qualified to work with families based on personal experience

and the specialized training they receive.

Purpose:

To Support the caregiver

for the benefit of their child

Natural Supports and Community Connections

Increase Self-Efficacy

System navigation

Hope

Engage in treatment

Partnership with

Providers

How Does Family Support Help?

• Credential based on practical skill training

• Focused on improving issues that matter to the health care industry (ie. Parent access,

engagement, health activation)

• Two part process o Credentialing requirements o Parent Empowerment Training

Provisional Family Peer Advocate Credential

Professional Family Peer Advocate Credential

ProvisionalCredentialRequirements

CompletionofLevel1PEP-MTraining§ CompletionofLevel1PEPTraining,or§ HoldsPEPTrainingCertificate

FPAProvisionalCredentialApplication§ Meetlived-experiencerequirements§ ProofofAge§ HighSchoolDiplomaorGED§ LettersofRecommendation(2)§ SignedFPACodeofEthics

ProfessionalCredentialRequirements

CompletionofLevel2PEP-MTraining§ CompletionofLevel2PEPTraining,or§ HoldsPEPTrainingCertificate

ValidProvisionalFPACredential

FPAProfessionalApplication§ 1000ofexperienceprovidingpeerfamilysupportservices§ SupervisorLetterofRecommendation§ SignedFPACodeofEthics

- AnindividualmayobtainaProvisionalFPACredentialpriortoemployment.

- Uponcommencementofemployment,theProvisionalCredentialmustbeupgradedtoaProfessionalCredentialwithin18months

- ProfessionalFPACredentialmustberenewedeverytwoyears.- 20hoursofcontinuingeducationisrequiredforrenewal.

AnyonewhoholdsavalidFPACredential(awardedbetween2011and2015)willbeissuedaProfessionalCredential.NewRenewalruleswillapply.

• Developed by researchers, clinical partners and

family advocates • Mandatory training for all Family Peer

Advocates • Based on statewide core competencies • Evidence based

Parent Empowerment Program

NYS Family Peer Advocate Training

Current PEP Training

• 40 hours in-person training Lessons Practice exercises Group learning

• 12 1-hour consultation calls

Rodriguez, J., Olin, S. S., Hoagwood, K. E., Shen, S., Burton, G., Radigan, M., & Jensen, P. S. (2011). The Development and Evaluation of a Parent Empowerment Program for Family Peer Advocates. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 20(4), 397–405. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-010-9405-4

Updated PEP-M Training • Focus on improving access to increase

workforce • Transition from 40 hour in-person training to

o online modules o 2 day in person component o 12-1 hour consultation calls

Family Peer Advocate Credential A Lever for Change

• Evaluating competencies needed to achieve outcomes • Training designed around new competencies and includes

continuing education • Research on quality indicators informs training and program

evaluation • Increased understanding of this unique discipline • Formal process opens doors in world governed by licensure • Opened doors to integrate FPAs into settings such as:

o Primary care o Hospitals o Clinics o Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Settings

Quality Indictors

• Commitment to understanding the impact of this service through expanded research (Hoagwood and Burns, 2014)

• Attention to quality indicators in our credentialing program align with healthcare’s emphasis on measureable change

• IDEAS Center researchers developed quality indicators on both the program and individual FPA levels (Olin et al 2013)

• These quality indicators are significantly associated with positive organizational social context in 21 NYS programs that deliver team-based family support services. This suggests the potential of high quality family support for improving the context of services.

(Olin, S. S., Williams, N., Pollock, M., Armusewicz, K., Kutash, K., Glisson, C., & Hoagwood, K. E. (2014). Quality Indicators for Family Support Services and Their Relationship to Organizational Social Context. Administration and Policy in Mental Health, 41(1), 10.1007/s10488–013–0499–z)

Examples of Quality Indicators

Program Quality indicators

• Clear roles and responsibilities for FPAs

• Budget allocated for family support services

• Specialized supervision structures in place for family advocates to help maintain role on team and with families

• Employment benefits provided to family advocates

Individual FPA Quality Indicators

• Demonstrates positive regard for the role of other staff on team

• Demonstrates knowledge of community supports and resources

• Facilitates a family’s identification of priorities and concerns

• Promotes family voice and choice through shared decision making

Resources and Contacts

Contact:

• FTNYS o Susan Burger: sburger@ftnys.org

Resources: • Families Together in New York State • www.ftnys.org • 2016 FPA Application • http://www.ftnys.org/family-peer-advocate/ • CTAC Website • www.ctacny.com • Ideas Center www.ideas4kidsmentalhealth.org